Bill Kassel's Blog

Occasional reflections on things that come into my mind — plus links to episodes of my radio show / podcast, “Free Expression”

Ideology & Politics

The Angriest Time of Year

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SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUNDS IN
ANTI-CHRISTIAN MESSAGES

’Tis that season when our secular culture offers a nod to its Christian roots with endless songs about angels, wisemen, and a babe in a manger.

It’s also when leftists, who would normally never set foot inside a church, suddenly rediscover the usefulness of faith.

Useful, that is, in scoring ideological points — per the graphic above.

Critiques of Christianity turn up on social media all year ’round. But there’s nothing like the holidays to make the hearts of agnostic memesters go all aflutter.

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Influence vs Inspiration

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CHATBOTS, NOVELS
& SACRED IMAGES

This week on “Free Expression with Bill Kassel” we explore how ideas and images touch our hearts and minds…

(1) Nick Kangadis of the Media Research Center discusses how Artificial Intelligence is turning chatbots into tools of propaganda to manipulate opinion on controversial issues.

(2) Notre Dame Literature Professor Abigail Favale explores how Christian fiction can bring us to deeper spiritual understanding, and introduces her new novel, “Our Lady of the Signs.”

(3) Religious educator Derek Rotty shows how contemplating great works of art can enrich our prayer lives, as demonstrated in his new book, “Praying with Sacred Art.”

It’s an interesting set of insights from some thoughtful people. Give it a listen…

https://billkassel.podbean.com/e/free-expression-episode-167/

 

Bumpy Ride Ahead

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TRUMP HAS BEEN ELECTED
BUT THE LEFT ISN’T DONE

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It’s fascinating to observe the change in atmosphere now that Trump’s victory is confirmed and he’s headed for his historic non-consecutive second term.

The sense of gloom which, before the election, had been pervasive, has lifted — if not entirely, at least markedly so.

Where talk of a new Cold War, of basement fallout shelters, and of stockpiling food had made it seem like the duck-and-cover 1950s were coming back, now we have foreign leaders heaping their congratulations on The Donald and consulting him as if he were already in office.

Silicon Valley tech wizards are sitting down with him for lunch at Mar-a-Lago. Mark Zuckerberg has promised an overhaul of Facebook censorship policies and recruited a Trump supporter for his board.

Major media outlets are reevaluating their left-leaning editorial policies.

Democrat strategists are admitting their party has lost touch with its base.

Even Progressive poster girl, Rep. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is striking a (modestly) conciliatory pose. AOC recently told Punchbowl News…

“The reason why I think oftentimes Democrats occasionally lose elections is because we’re too reflexively anti-Republican, and that we don’t lean into an ambitious vision for working-class Americans strongly enough.”

MAGA influence has even been felt north of the border. The government of Canada is in collapse, as the annoyingly lefty Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation as prime minister and Liberal Party head.

America is back, Baby!

Sort of.

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Let the Tears Flow

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KAMALA SUPPORTERS
ARE GRIEF-STRICKEN

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As someone who does a blog, I understand the impulse to share opinions and vent feelings. So I’m not surprised at the grief pouring out online from Kamala Harris supporters over Donald Trump’s historic victory.

Now to be sure, Trumpers have criticized Harris and expressed their objections to the destructive Biden juggernaut. If Trump had lost the election, anger and dire predictions about life in Democrat hell would have flooded social media.

But MAGA frustration doesn’t come close to the level of heartbreak on display among Harris followers.

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They Can’t Satirize Trump

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THE LEFT’S MOCKERY
ALWAYS FALLS FLAT

With two assassination attempts and a series of lawfare scams unable to derail the Trump Train, Leftists are increasingly reliant on mockery. The Anti-Trump cartoons, memes and jokes continue to flood social media.

But Leftists face a dilemma — a conundrum, if you will.

Yeah, sure, they’re stuck with Kamala. But that’s not what I’m talking about.

Their problem is more practical: They can’t satirize Donald Trump.

Think about it. You’ve seen all the snide references to “Orange Man.” And yes, The Donald has a ruddy complexion which gives his face an orange hue.

But cartoonists and memesters have never been able to use that effectively. More often than not, the attempts just come off as petty (not to say stupid), as the above image demonstrates.

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Freedom to Think

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SOCIETY MUST REJECT THE
CONCEPT OF “HATE CRIMES”

The world is currently transfixed by videos circulating online of riots in the United Kingdom.

Can this really be happening in gracious, civilized England, home of Shakespeare, Tennyson, Jane Austen, and afternoon tea?

Where are those hearty God-save-the-King Britishers who gave “blood, toil, tears and sweat” to save their precious isle?

Well, saving their precious isle is what this is all about, actually. Britain has endured an invasion of immigrants — mostly African Muslims, many of them illegals — who are changing the very character of this cradle of learning, culture and civility (and the occasional football melee).

Working- and middle-class Brits have borne up under a growing wave of immigration-related criminality, street violence, and desecration of British values. But patience reached its end with the recent stabbing of three schoolgirls aged 6, 7 and 9.

The attacker is alleged to be a 17-year old boy who was born in Wales of Rwandan parents.

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July 4th Gloom

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LEFT AND RIGHT SHARE
A COMMON ANXIETY

It’s not necessarily obvious why particular Mass readings fall on particular days. I often scratch my head wondering, “Who planned all this?”

But sometimes the scripture selections can be unexpectedly pertinent. In fact, they can be so timely and on target that they have a prophetic feel.

Such was the Old Testament reading for July 4th.

The passage is a call for the Prophet Amos to be banished from Jerusalem over his prediction that King Jeroboam…

“shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land.”

As you would expect, this was a most unwanted message at the time…

“Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city, and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by measuring line, and you yourself shall die in an unclean land; Israel shall be exiled far from its land.”*

Now that’s a real downer if ever there was one.

Things were bad in the Kingdom of Israel. They were going to get worse. And bringing it up made no one happy.

Somehow the passage captures a feeling shared widely on this Independence Day. A pall of gloom hangs over our nation.

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The Ploy

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NOW EVERYBODY KNOWS
THE DEBATE WAS A SETUP

Okay, so the ploy worked.

All week long we heard about how Joe Biden was firmly on task prepping for the debate, honing his responses, getting ready to dazzle us with his keen grasp of administrative detail and a clear picture of all the great things we could expect in his second term.

We’d be surprised at how sharp this old guy really is.

The idea — obvious now — was to set Joe up for a total collapse under the Trumpian onslaught. Which, if things worked out right, might have the secondary benefit of demonstrating how nasty and cruel The Donald really is.

And the point of this charade?

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